Sahrawis in Spain
الصحراويين في إسبانيا Saharauis en España | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Total population | |
| 3,000[1] – 12,000[2] | |
| Languages | |
| Hassaniya Arabic, Spanish (Saharan Spanish) | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Sahrawis, Afro-European |
Sahrawis have been present in Spain since the Spanish colonisation of Western Sahara. The specific number of Spaniards of Sahrawi origin is unknown due to the fact that the Spanish government does not collect data on ethnicity or racial self-identification, together with Spain not recognising Sahrawi nationality documents from the largely unrecognised Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
History
[edit]According to a 2010 Supreme Court ruling, the Sahrawis born in the back then Spanish territory of the Spanish Sahara who did not opt for Spanish nationality in accordance with Royal Decree 2258/1976 of 10 August 1976 on the option of Spanish nationality by natives of the Sahara,[3] have lost the right to Spanish nationality. Due to the Sahrawi Republic not being recognised by Spain, most Sahrawis ended up being recognised as stateless.[4] Sahrawis living under Moroccan occupation got Moroccan citizenship.
In February 2023 the Congress of Deputies approved with the abstention of VOX and the rejection of PSOE the consideration of a bill proposed by Unidas Podemos to grant Spanish citizenship by naturalisation to the born in the territory of Western Sahara under the sovereignty of Spain before 1976, even if they do not have legal residence.[5]
Notable people
[edit]In entertainment and media
[edit]- Ebbaba Hameida, journalist
- Nadhira Mohamed, actress
Politicians
[edit]- Omar Lamin Abeidi, first Sahrawi elected to a Spanish regional parliament
- Tesh Sidi, first Sahrawi woman elected to the Congress of Deputies
In sports
[edit]- Ali Radjel, footballer
See also
[edit]- Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic–Spain relations
- Spanish Sahara
- Sahrawi people
- Arabs in Spain
- Afro-Spaniards
- Black people in Spain
References
[edit]- ^ Altozano, Manuel; Cembrero, Ignacio (16 June 2010). "La policía detuvo a saharauis en Jaén al pedir la residencia" [The police detained Sahrawis in Jaén when requesting residence]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ Gómez Martín, Carmen (9 November 2015). "La migración saharaui en España. Estrategias de visibilidad en el tercer tiempo del exilio" [Saharawi migration in Spain. Visibility strategies in the third period of exile.] (PDF). Kamchatka (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Real Decreto 2258/1976, de 10 de agosto, sobre opción de la nacionalidad española por parte de los naturales del Sahara" [Royal Decree 2258/1976, of August 10, on the option of Spanish nationality by the natives of the Sahara.]. Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish). 10 August 1976. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ Talebbuia Hassan, Sidi (16 July 2020). "Nacionalidad española de los saharauis: comentario a la sentencia del Tribunal Supremo 207/2020" [Spanish nationality of the Sahrawis: commentary on Supreme Court ruling 207/2020]. Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ Hermida, Xosé (14 February 2023). "El Congreso da el primer paso para otorgar la nacionalidad española a los saharauis pese al rechazo del PSOE" [Congress takes the first step to grant Spanish nationality to the Sahrawis despite the rejection of the PSOE]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 July 2023.
